Brahmos test launch successful

Statesman News Service

NEW DELHI, March 5: India successfully tested a naval version of the Brahmos cruise missile at the Andamans coast this morning, the defence ministry announced.
The naval version of the Brahmos cruise missile was launched from the decks of INS Rajput at 10.30 a.m. and hit a land target in one of the islands of Andaman and Nicobar, said a defence ministry official.
Defenc Research Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists said the missile met all flight parameters during its launch and zeroed in on the designated target among the group of targets, destroying it with a thunderous blast. This mission is considered very important as it has established the sea to land attack capability of the formidable weapons system. It was the 15th successive successful launch of the Brahmos missile, developed jointly by India and Russia.
All the logistic support to the missile test was provided by the Indian Navy’s Andaman & Nicobar Command. It deployed ten ships, three aircraft and three helicopters for mission support and the parameters set for the mission were kept extremely difficult, including the positioning of the target to achieve maximum output, the defence ministry spokesman said.
The launch was witnessed by Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, along with the officiating Commander in Chief of the Andaman Command, Rear Admiral P K Nair, and other senior naval officers and defence scientists. The defence minister, Mr A K Antony, congratulated the Navy and team of scientists for the successful launch.